In honour of the late Yasmin Ahmad, here’s sharing with you the all-time favourite Malaysian unity tale: Tan Hong Ming in Love, directed by Yasmin Ahmad.

Every Merdeka, we Malaysians look forward to watching the TV Commercials aired during the month of August. It isn’t about the spirit of patriotism, nor is it about finding out the theme of celebration for the year. Rather, most of us have grown accustom to watching Malaysian tales on our television during this period of time. Strangely, these tales are not told regularly on a non-seasonal basis. We are only reminded of the importance of unity when National Day draws around the corner. It would have been nice to have beautiful tales as such aired throughout the year to constantly remind us the importance of unity in a multicultural society like ours.

This year, with the passing away of the late Yasmin Ahmad, many have thought that the Merdeka commercials aired would be different; that everything will return to normal boring plots of commercial that sings unity in the most inefficient way. Surprisingly, that’s not the case. Many talented directors have captured the essence of Yasmin’s approach to storytelling. She left behind a spirit that overwhelms the hearts of many to continue sharing the importance of unity through their masterpieces. Here’s a quick glimpse into this year’s Merdeka commercials.

1Malaysia, a Alakazam Production directed by Nazrul Jamil.

As 1 We Care, a TV commercial by TM Malaysia.

Besides that, the film industry in Malaysia has also embarked on a special project known as 15Malaysia (in conjunction with our theme this year – 1Malaysia), where 15 Malaysian filmmakers have come together with their best short film masterpieces featuring local stories that deal with socio-political issues in the country. Watch all 15 of them at their website and you will realise that Malaysian tales are just as interesting as the box office movies in the cinema.

Certainly, we Malaysians have matured in our ways of storytelling. No longer are we embarrassed to share stories about our culture and countries, we are slowly learning to be proud of who we are as Malaysians. And that itself marks the growth of every individual in the country. If you are a Malaysian, be proud to be one! Because I’m proud to be Malaysian.

Originally written by Gina Yap Lai Yoong © 2009

Note: Yasmin Ahmad was an acclaimed multi award-winning Malaysian film director, writer and scriptwriter. Her TV commercials and films are well-known in Malaysia for its humour, heart and love that surpasses cross-cultural barriers.

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